A Beacon in the Darkness
by FringeDivision2008
Summary: Grant Ward is a trained specialist but he wasn't trained to witness the battle between HYDRA and SHIELD and the cost it brings. Can he keep Skye's father from destroying Coulson? Can he save the team when all hope is lost or will he suffer like the rest of them? Where do his loyalties lay when the line is drawn?
1. Ward

A Beacon in the Darkness

Spoilers: All of Season 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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><p>Grant Ward had lived through hell, grown under a madman and served to hurt all those who had dared to care about him by thriving on orders. He'd accepted there was no light in his life, that he lived in the shadows and would serve whoever he had to for whatever mission was his current assignment. Loyalty before self, something he'd instilled in himself from the moment he'd been yanked from a juvenile prison.<p>

There had been a brief moment of sunshine in his life, one he would forever strive to get back no matter the cost. It had been like a breath of fresh air, something he never thought he could have but did for a short few moments. Then life took over and his sunshine disappeared, sending him back into his darkness. He was lost, searching for that small speck of light in his life that allowed him to be himself instead of a soldier.

His new dedication was to protect that ray of light, to make sure it never extinguished and would forever be there for others even if he'd remain in the darkness. He was good at it, at protecting the light even from the dark shadows and assured himself promises would be kept.

Then in one moment, in a blaze of war between two sides he watched as the light, which he swore to protect at all costs, extinguish. Lost to madmen he followed while trying to destroy, his eyes searched for the source that ended his light and when he found it, he vowed to destroy end it in return.

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><p>"Skye!" Ward found himself yelling as gunfire and physical fights battled on. He watched as she fell to the ground in an instant, still and not moving.<p>

Nothing seemed to matter in that moment as he made his way across the room, dodging bullets and men to get to her. The girl that had become his sole existence, the light and love of his life. Dropping to his knees beside her still form, he searched frantically for a pulse before finding nothing.

"No, no please!" He gathered her in his arms and held her, a hand to her cheek. "Skye please, please." Never in his life had Ward had the urge to cry but holding her still form, dead from a bullet to the chest he wanted to sob forever. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"Take her body to plane." Ward looked up to see Whitehall standing before him. "Her death will restore life, just like her mother."

Having heard what Whitehall had done to her mother, Ward refused to give her over to the madman even dead. She deserved a burial fit for who she was not to be torn apart for the organs in her body. He laid her down gently, as reverently as he held her because she was everything to him.

"You did this!" Ward pulled himself up and lunged at the man before him, slamming him into the wall. "You murdered her!"

"I merely did what had to be done. She refused to join the cause, intended on destroying everything we needed." Whitehall smiled, "if she is not useful one way, her death will give life."

"She is not an experiment and I won't let her be one."

"Skye!" Ward heard the sound of Coulson and his urging to get Simmons to check her. A hand on his shoulder and a voice was the only thing that made him let go of the man.

"Ward, don't do this." May's voice was stern and he let go, only because the knowledge that the man had done far worse than murdering Skye would get him a death he was worthy of. His own form of punishment would be far too quick for what the man deserved.

"She's dead." Simmons' voice was echoed by a sob as Ward backed up into a nearby wall. He collapsed and stared at the body of the girl who had been his everything.

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><p>A scream was the only thing that made Ward look up and made everyone turn, the enemy under control. Skye's father stood in the entryway of a tunnel and he was on his knees starring at Skye. Ward saw his attention turn to Coulson and knew what the man was capable of.<p>

"You did this!" The Doctor advanced on Coulson, "YOU MURDERED HER!"

Whitehall seemed to smirk but Ward stood and moved to intercept the man. He caught Skye's father by his shoulders and pushed him back. "The same man who murdered her mother pulled the trigger. He planned to do the same to her."

"You're certain?"

"I wouldn't lie, not about her." Ward met the man's frantic eyes. "She was all I had left."

The Doctor nodded and backed up, turning to Whitehall. "You and I will settle this after I have seen to my daughter."

He moved to Skye and bent down beside her, reaching a hand out before pausing to look up at Coulson. The director put a hand on the madman's shoulder and nodded. "She would have wanted you here."

"She looks like her mother, beautiful and peaceful." The Doctor placed a hand on Skye's chest and smiled. "Like her mother she draws people to her even in death."

Ward narrowed his eyes at the man's statement, remembering the discussion that the man had had about Skye's mother. The woman was neither human nor alien, something in between from a race long forgotten. She'd been a symbol of peace, a beacon to guide those lost and someone who would live forever unless removed from the living.

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><p>He took off down the tunnel in a run, determined to get to the plane that HYDRA had arrived on. Opening the hatch he quickly moved to one of the drawers where the med-kit was, digging through the vials there for what he was looking for. Only a click made him look up to see one of Coulson's men standing with a gun drawn on him, Trip was behind him.<p>

"Man don't do whatever you're thinking about doing." Trip looked at him, "back away from the cabinet."

"Shoot me if you want but I'm not leaving until I get what I came for." Ward continued to dig before removing a vial and held it up to the light. Grabbing a syringe he removed liquid from the vial.

"What is that?" Trip moved towards him, "whatever you're thinking about doing, don't! I know you cared about Skye but killing yourself…"

"It's for Skye." Ward held out the syringe. "It's like the GH-325 but different, it was derived from her species. It's what gives them their youth, their healing abilities." He turned to Trip, "it's the only chance we have."

The other agent nodded to the nearby bench, "put it down mate and put your hands in the air. I don't know what you're going on about but Skye's dead and nothing can cure that."

"Trip…"

"Sorry man but he's right, she was near death the last time but still breathing. Nothing can fix this, no matter how much we want it."

Ward found himself getting angry, every minute was precious if it meant reviving her. "You don't understand, you think like she's human but she's not!" He gritted his teeth and looked to the side. "She's not like us, the serum can save her if you just give it to her."

The agent looked to Trip, "what is this lunatic going on about?"

"Hunter don't man, just don't." Trip sighed and moved to Ward, "Ward trust me, Simmons has gone over her biology a dozen times and Skye is human. Now put the syringe down and let us go back. They're going to detain Whitehall and bring a body bag for Skye, after they get her on the plane they're going to detain you. I know you'll want to be there for Skye's final ride home, even if it's in cuffs." He put a hand out, "come on man, you owe her that. You owe her the escort home, it'll eat at you the rest of your life if you're unconscious because we have to tranq you." He felt Trip's hand on his arm, "you loved her right? Then do right by her now, don't let this last ride home be a fight to the death. Honor her memory, honor how much she wanted this war to end."

"She's everything to me." It slipped from his mouth without him meaning to do so.

"I know man, so let's escort her home without anything happening. I'm sure if you come willingly, Coulson could be persuaded to let you be there for the funeral."

He let Trip take the syringe as the pain of Skye being dead washed over him. His eyes tracked the man placing the syringe aside and placing a hand on his arm. Hunter moved over, gun lowered and took his other arm. Distracted with the thought he'd go willingly, he turned suddenly and knocked them both out with simple ease.

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><p>Grabbing the syringe, Ward ran through the tunnel to the room where everyone was. It seemed most of the team was gone to detain Whitehall while Simmons sat beside Skye, a solemn look on her face. Quickly without much care if he was shot or not, he moved over to Skye and jabbed the syringe into her neck.<p>

"Ward!" Simmons yelled as he was thrown back by Skye's father against the wall.

"What are you doing to her?" The madman demanded as he looked at him with wild eyes. "She's dead and you think to destroy her, you're no better than him."

"It's the serum Whitehall developed from her mother." Ward spoke evenly, "from her own species."

The Doctor was silent for a few moments before smiling and patted his arm, nodding. "How did you know?"

"I don't know, I just…" he looked over to see Simmons gasping as Skye's chest began to rise once again. "I knew, I just knew."

Just at that moment Trip and Hunter arrived back in the room with Coulson and May. Simmons looked at them with tear-ridden eyes. "She's alive, Ward injected her with something and she began breathing again."

"Detain him." Coulson gave the order and instantly he was being pushed the ground by three men, he let it happen because Skye was alive and it was all he needed.

He watched Skye open her eyes as Simmons bent over her, speaking to her. He smiled as he watched her whisper and talk. Being pulled up by Hunter and Trip he was pulled away from the ground as one of the bigger agents picked Skye up. In a split second her eyes reached his and he saw vibrant brown orbs looking at him with softness once again instead of anger.

"Let's get this lunatic to the jet before he causes another bloody miracle of some type."

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><p>It was only once they were on the transport, Whitehall sitting across from him and The Doctor, all three of them detained in handcuffs and a gun trained on them did he allow his eyes to move towards Skye. Simmons handed her a water and sat beside her, running a scanner over her as if trying to determine if she was fine.<p>

_Thank you._ He looked to the side to find out where the sound had come from, no one dared to thank him for he wasn't worth the two words._You saved me again._

The voice sounded like Skye's and he looked over to see her staring at him. When Simmons' back was turned she gave a small smile and then dropped it as soon as the scientist turned back to her.

He leaned towards The Doctor and whispered. "Will she become a beacon like her mother or will she develop other abilities?"

"She's already a beacon." The man looked over at Skye, "she was long before her birth. The human world has dulled it to near silence but she is like her mother."

"So no teleporting or moving things or telepathy?"

The man merely chuckled, "no, she will not teleport or move things and as for telepathy, when she takes a mate it'll be he who hears her constant voice. That was how I knew my precious wife was dead, I no longer felt her and am left with a hollow feelings where she once resided. You love her but I assure you, only she chooses her mate and once she chooses all others are forgotten. It is a bond you can't fathom, one a human can't begin to understand."

"I'm beginning to understand a lot of things."

He smiled slightly and looked down at his hands, cuffed and leaving him at the mercy of Coulson. For once he was okay with that, he wasn't looking for an escape or a way out because he'd already gotten a miracle. She was alive and shining like the beacon she was.

Most of his life he'd lived in darkness till a light rose up and drew him out of darkness. Unlike before it would never die or fade, it would stay with him every moment of every day bathing him in light as he lived among the shadows once again. His light was his guide, his beacon to safety and the knowledge that he didn't have to live like he had before.

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><p>AN: Sorry...I just had a bad day and this developed.

Please read and review...


	2. Skye

A Beacon in the Darkness

Spoilers: All of Season 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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><p>Ward looked up when the door to Vault D opened, he found Coulson walking down the stairs with a tablet in his hand. He set it on the stand and stood a few feet from the barrier line, arms crossed and clearly trying to decide what to say. Ward rose and walked over to the barrier, pausing on the other side.<p>

"Have you come to execute me?"

"Should I?"

Walking to the wall, Ward turned and shrugged. "There's nothing stopping you. Whitehall is captured, HYDRA will soon be a thing of the past and my own family wanted me dead so I guess the decision is left with you."

_The final decision is mine._ Ward looked to the side towards the small bed so Coulson didn't see his face. He realized it was Skye and he could only wish she'd stay out of his head. _I'm still getting used to this too Turbo, don't blame me for suddenly being there when you were rambling on about how you could have done things differently just moments ago._

He chuckled, which caused Coulson too speak. "Is something funny?"

Looking up at the man, Ward nodded. "Yeah, that you put me down here again when it would be easier just to shoot me. I'm no use to you, your words not mine so why am I here?"

Coulson dropped his arms, "because Skye told me what she asked of you before we transported you to your brother and her father, in his willingness to cooperate told us what you did inside HYDRA." He moved and pressed the tablet, the barrier fell. "Skye recruited you to take it down from the inside and you did what you could with what you were given. You lead Whitehall right to us, put him a trap while pretending to be on his side."

"I was never on his side and don't mistake my loyalty Coulson." He took a step forward but stopped just inside the barrier's cell side. "I'm not going to let anything control me anymore. I'm not loyal to HYDRA or SHIELD, no more orders. Requests I don't mind, promises I'll keep but orders are a thing of the past."

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><p>In the lounge, Skye sat on her computer while Simmons sat beside her watching a TV program with Fitz and Mack adding commentary. She snorted and shook her head, "like that'll last long, can't survive without orders."<p>

"What?" Simmons looked over at her, Fitz and Mack also stared at the hacker. "What about orders?"

Skye stood with her laptop, hugging it to her chest. "Nothing, just watching Coulson's interrogation of Ward. You know Ward, orders are his life and here he is telling Coulson he's not accepting orders anymore."

Fitz narrowed his eyes, "May said all the interrogations were on a closed feed that even you don't have access to. We asked to watch the interrogation of Ward."

"Well you know me," she smirked. "SHIELD agent first, hacker second and alien third." The agent pointed to the door. "I'm just going to my bunk, enjoy the show."

With that she left the room and groaned as she did_. Thanks asshole, you nearly got me caught. Next time try saying something I won't laugh at._ She rolled her eyes as she gained the thought of Ward rolling his eyes. _Yeah go ahead and roll your eyes because it's not like I chose this._ She paused against the wall as Ward's discussion with her father flashed through her mind.

Leaning her head back she closed her eyes and ignored the urge to comment back at Ward. The implication that she was the cause, that she made the choice shocked her because after everything Ward had done, even saving her, she wouldn't in a million years choose him to be her other half. She'd been in love with him but he'd betrayed her and then gotten creepy, his imprisonment making the creep factor go up a dozen levels. She'd sworn off love and was determined to bring him down. She'd hoped he'd be shot in the crossfire between HYDRA and SHIELD when it all went down but instead he'd saved her life and was allies with her psychopathic, murdering father.

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><p>Steeling herself, Skye made her way to Coulson's office where she knew May was monitoring the interrogation. She didn't bother knocking and May merely turned to see who it was before looking back at the screen.<p>

"I want to speak with my father."

May slid a tablet across the table she stood beside, "bring it back when you're done. Unlike before with Ward's, we need it at all times kept under lock and key."

"What, no questions or 'you can't go in there' speeches? I had my speech all planned out."

"He's your father and you've wanted to meet him," May merely looked at her. "Just know he'll try to make you see his side of things in ways Ward never would."

Skye picked up the tablet. "They're both crazy but at least Ward isn't about ready to sacrifice me to get his way."

May merely gave a nod before turning her eyes back to the screen. "We're having a psychologist come in to assess Ward."

"Good, maybe they can figure out why he turned out to be such a psychopathic asshole." She looked down at the tablet, "well I'm off to meet Daddy dearest, hopefully he can shed some light on my mother and why he joined the people who murdered her."

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><p>Walking down the steps to Vault A, Skye watched her father look up from where he sat on the bed. She touched the tablet to silence the audio feed that was recording so nothing was heard, placing the tablet aside as she made it down to the floor.<p>

"Hello Father." Skye folded her arms. "You and I have something important to talk about."

He smiled at her and stood, "we have much to talk about Luna."

"Skye, my name is Skye. Tell me why the man I detest, the man who has murdered I don't know how many people is the one I chose?"

Her father looked at her confused, "I don't understand."

"Ward, I'm in his head and he's in mine," she shrugged, "sort of."

"I see, so you chose your mate." Smiling he sighed, "well for a human he's dependable, willing to do whatever is necessary to make you happy and your safety is paramount to him. I approve of him and I'm sure your mother would have too."

Skye took a step further, "but why him? I want nothing to do with him, he's a murderer just like you."

He picked himself up off the floor and looked at her. "That is true but like us both, you can kill without a second thought. That you got from me," he smiled at her and pointed. "I can see it in you, you've taken a life. We're alike Luna, you and I, he understands that and will nurture your instinct. You're a beacon of light for him and he is your path to destruction, the reason you are perfect for each other."

Skye breathed heavy before grabbing the tablet and headed upstairs. _How much does he lie?_ It only took seconds before she got the image of herself being looked down at as arms surrounded her. She calmed instantly realizing that Ward was trying to comfort her despite his inability to. It was followed by the thought of not trusting the man beyond necessity. It was Ward's thought, of what he'd thought upon seeing her father. _Okay, I'll trust you on this. _

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><p>Returning the tablet to May, she didn't get a word from the agent before heading to her bunk. She sat on the bed and pulled a pillow into her lap as she thought about what her father had to say. Shaking her head, she decided that he was truly insane, part of her wondered if it was because of the broken connection between him and her mother.<p>

_I saw my mother when I died. I can't explain it but it wasn't a dream or an afterlife. _She laid down as she found Ward's thoughts centered on the image of an ocean_. Quit trying to calm me, I'm okay. I just get the feeling she was trying to tell me something but all she did was smile at me and touch my face. I wonder if it was about my father._ She got an image of a man covered in blood over a dead body_. I know he's crazy, he makes Garrett look borderline sane but barely. He tried to say you would show me how to carve a path of destruction, that you understand I'm meant to kill._ Instantly she got the image of herself but the thought of beauty, wonder and perfection. _Get your head out of the clouds Ward, I'm not perfect. Now I'm going to take a nap so leave me alone and find something in your cell to do._

She didn't understand why mentally talking to him she was comfortable, that she could trust him but outside of their minds she knew trust was impossible. Her heart screamed to trust him and her alien side, as she was going to call their little talking ability, agreed while cognitively she refused. Skye found herself torn between personally wanting the man who was in her mind, who comforted her and made her feel valued, and wanting the man who existed in Vault D to pay for what he did.

If one thing was certain, she was NEVER telling anyone about their connection.

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><p>AN: Conflict is normal when one is torn between mind and heart, although Skye's issues bring it to a whole different level.

Next...psychological intervention, I mean interrogation

Please read and review...


	3. Ward & Skye

A Beacon in the Darkness

Spoilers: All of Season 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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><p>Grant Ward laid on his bed just starring at the ceiling, trying everything he could to think of anything unrelated to Skye. She had made it clear at his first thought of her that morning, a gentle thought of her wellbeing, that she was in the field and that she couldn't afford a distraction. It was the third mission she'd undertaken since he'd been locked back up and they'd developed some type of bond.<p>

_Grant!_ Skye's near yell made him wince as he sat up, alert at the sound of her mental call plus his first name. It was the type of call one had when they were scared or injured, unsure of what could happen. He thought about where she saw, as if asking what her location was. He instantly got a flash of a small office cubical, under what seemed like a desk. _There are too many of them, I can't fight them. I was shot, it's hard to move my leg. May and Trip aren't supposed to go in till I signal but my monitor got lost in one of the fights. _

As he tried to calm her, sending images of him holding her like he normally did when she was upset, Ward made his way over to the video camera and waved. He hoped that someone alerted Coulson but he was sure they wouldn't, they didn't really care what he did anymore as long as he didn't try to harm himself. Looking at the barrier line, he realized what he had to do.

_No don't, it's not worth Coulson putting you under more restrictions. _

He sent her the thought of her being everything to him, of her safety being all he needed. With that last thought he ran at the barrier, it caused the alarm to go off. Backing up he sat on his bed, waiting for Coulson to arrive with guards. The last time he'd made a run at the barrier it had been an escape attempt but everyone knew he'd accepted his fate to rot in Vault D the rest of his life.

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><p>It took twenty minutes before anyone arrived and every minute of that was trying to keep Skye awake, she was getting weaker from blood loss. Coulson walked down the steps and stopped in front of the barrier.<p>

"Another escape attempt, I thought you'd realize by now that it's impossible or do I need to put an electric component to it?"

Ward let his thoughts drift to Skye, letting her know he was with Coulson. _Tell him exactly what I say. Tell him that I'm injured severely in the Levitts Building, that HYDRA has a battalion of 15 men all in advanced armored packages. I lost my monitor in a fight and that I need back up immediately. Fifth floor, southwest corner in the last cubical before the bathroom._

"Skye's injured severely in the Levitts Building, HYDRA has a battalion of 15 men in advanced armored packages. She lost her monitor in a fight and she needs back up immediately." Ward watched Coulson's eyes turn in half-surprise. "She's on the fifth floor, southwest corner in the last cubical before the bathroom."

"How…"

"She told me."

"That's doubtful, she didn't know the mission till she was in the field.

_Tell him something only I know, tell him that what he and May did to me the other night was inexcusable and traumatic. He'll blush and try to deny it but I walked in on them so he'll know it's me._ It didn't escape his notice that her mental voice was like a whisper, like she was growing weaker by the moment.

He sent the thought of it being something he didn't want to know, gaining an eye roll. "She said to tell you that what you and May did to her the other night still traumatizes her." Of course as expected, Coulson blushed and sputtered for a moment. "Trust me, that's not something I want or need to know sir but Skye said it would confirm that you know it's her."

All the man gave was a nod before leaving up the stairs, the door shutting behind him. Ward thought back to Skye and found her silent. Thinking of nothing but waking her, he found she wasn't responding.

"Skye?" He got no response from her and fear rushed through him. "SKYE!" It was a yell full of anguish, the idea that something had happened to his light, he wanted nothing but to destroy those who had taken her from him.

_I'm here._ Her mental voice a mere whisper as if she was expending energy just to talk to him. _Don't become my father, don't destroy yourself to avenge me. Promise me you won't destroy yourself._

"Skye…" He thought of what his life would be like without her, without her existence in the world. It reminded him of months before when she'd been dead in the temple. It was a depth of anguish and pain he could never return from, it had been near impossible to get away from but saving her had taken it away. If she died he'd never escape it, he'd live forever surrounded by that darkness, by that pain. He just wanted to be with her, to hold her one last time. To look into her eyes and know she wasn't alone. "I promise."

_It's okay. You're here with me, I'm not alone._ Her voice continued to grow weaker till he heard her whisper so faintly he swore he could almost not hear it. _I forgive you Grant. Keep your promise, for me. _All he could do was think of holding her, as if he was in fact holding her in his arms.

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><p>Phil Coulson watched as May and Trip brought Skye into the Infirmary, hooked up to blood and her leg bandaged. She was slowly breathing but definitely breathing all the same. As Simmons and Trip started working on the young agent, May joined him.<p>

"We barely got to her, Trip said she should have been dead fifteen minutes before we found her but she hung on." May shook her head, "most agents wouldn't have been able to survive that blood loss."

"She's telepathic." Coulson stated bluntly, "she communicated to Ward where she was and he set off the alarm so I'd come down."

"We were five streets away, it would make more sense to communicate with us."

Coulson nodded, "it would, once she's stable I'll be meeting with her father to discuss it."

Trip left Simmons to work on Skye and moved over to the two, "it's going to take a while before we can get her where she was but she's healing pretty fast once we administered blood and that serum that Simmons replicated from one vial in Whitehall's jet."

"Good."

"I don't meant to sound insensitive but she shouldn't have held on as long as she did. She lost over 40 percent of her blood, she should have died and I'm trying to figure out if it's her alien biology or just her stubborn streak"

Coulson nodded, "I'll be finding out soon enough."

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><p>Walking down the steps of Vault A, Coulson paused to see Skye's father rise from the bed and moved towards the barrier. He smirked at Coulson and held out his arms as if giving himself up despite already being caught.<p>

"To what do I owe this visit?"

"I have a very simple question for you." Coulson put the tablet on the nearby stand. "Skye has telepathy…"

The man smirked, "and you want to know why she chooses to communicate with one person alone, especially one who is your prisoner?"

"Exactly."

"You see Coulson, Luna's telepathy is instinctual and reserved for one person only…"

"So she can only communicate with one person at a time. Is it permanent or can it transfer?"

The madman walked to the wall before turning, "you're not listening, you are so narrow minded that you miss the importance of what I am saying." He moved to the barrier and stood there. "There is no choice in who she communicates with, it is instinct and reserved only for her mate. She has chosen, subconsciously it seems, but still her choice is made in who becomes her other half. The mental connection is solely hers to share with him and when he dies, she can never form another."

"She was near death hours ago but she held on, longer than the blood loss should have let her. Why?"

"If she is anything like her mother," he shrugged, "Luna will do everything she can to prevent her mate from slipping into darkness. Don't mistake what you see because Mr. Ward will fall into darkness if left alone after experiencing a beacon's light and that type of darkness is beyond anything you have ever seen of me. My beloved wife was a beacon but her brightness is dim in comparison to Luna's own." He smirked at Coulson, "and if he dies, the light will disappear and Luna's pain will make her destructive. They are both a curse and cure to each other."

All Coulson could do was nod before leaving up the stairs as he processed what was explained to him. He realized he'd have to make a decision that was hard on both the base and it's residence in order to make sure his agent was kept well.

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><p>Skye opened her eyes and immediately found May standing beside the bed speaking to Simmons, she let her mind drift to Ward immediately. She remembered as she'd felt darkness surrounding her that he kept pushing the image of his arms around her, protecting her from everything engulfing her. That's all she'd wanted in that moment, to feel him and know she wasn't alone, not that she could ever be.<p>

_Grant?_ She reached out to him and instantly she felt his pain, the idea that she was gone_. I'm in the Infirmary, I'm alive._ His grief so much she didn't think he noticed her.

"Oh you're awake." Simmons smiled at her and quickly started checking vitals. "You are a stubborn one, you should have died but you held on beyond what most agents would have."

"I guess I'm now under 24/7 lockdown again huh?" She tried to sit up but May's hand on her shoulder prevented it.

Simmons chuckled, "until you are fully recovered and can walk on that leg again. You've been unconscious for nearly a week during your recovery and given the blood loss, it's not a surprise it wasn't longer. Your body was deprived of not only blood but oxygen, in fact the serum is the only reason you were able to heal."

"I want to see Ward."

"Not while you're weak." May eyed her sternly, "he could use it to his advantage."

Coulson knocked on the door and smiled, "how are you feeling?"

"I want to see Ward."

May turned her attention to Coulson, "I already told her it was presenting him with something he could use to his advantage. After her recovery…"

"I'll arrange a visit up, he has to get his three month checkup anyways."

"Coulson…" May moved around the bed and Skye sat up since she was no longer restrained.

Coulson put a hand up to stop May's argument, "I can guarantee he won't be using it to his advantage."

"You can't know that."

"Actually I can."

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><p>May watched as agents lead Ward down the hall in chains, he moved as if having to be forced every step of the way. The look in his eyes read grief and it looked as if he didn't care to live anymore, just going through the motions to survive. Turning to Coulson, May looked at her longtime friend.<p>

"What happened to him?"

Coulson met her eyes, "he thinks Skye is dead, refuses to eat and doesn't do anything but sit on the bed. Told me days ago he didn't care if he lives or dies, has nothing worth living for anymore but he promised Skye not to destroy himself so he won't attempt suicide or try to avenge her death."

"Are you sure about this?"

"It's the best decision I can make right now." Coulson looked at her, "I'd rather him out to help versus leading to both deaths."

The agents stopped in front of Coulson, Ward looked at both agents. "Can I go back to my cell?"

"Not yet, after Simmons clears you medically you can go back." Coulson took his arm and nodded to the agents, they took a few steps back before leaving down the hall. "We have a stop to make before we see Simmons though."

"I don't really care what we do sir."

They walked to the Infirmary and towards the rooms, Simmons was coming out of one and she paused at seeing Ward. "Oh you're early, let me get everything set up. Just give me a moment."

Coulson waved her off, "we're going to make a visit before the check up so you can take all the time you need."

"Of course." She disappeared from around the corner and Coulson moved into the room, pulling Ward with him.

* * *

><p>Ward paused in the doorway as his brain processed what his eyes were seeing. Skye sat on the bed with a tablet in her lap, her leg straight out and bandaged but other than that she was fine. She looked up to see both of them and gave a small smile.<p>

Grant… He pulled from Coulson's grip and moved to the bed before the director could stop him, Ward's hand reached out but he paused realizing he was cuffed. I'm here, I'm alive.

"Skye…" It was like seeing the light all over again, his beacon guiding him back away from the darkness and pain.

Coulson moved over to the two and removed a key from his pocket, uncuffing Ward's hands as well as bending down to undo the shackles. Standing up he looked at Ward, "you'll get your physical and report to May for assessment, she'll decide when you'll be necessary for missions. Given your connection with Skye, it makes for the perfect tactical advantage."

"Wait, what?" Skye looked at Coulson, "just like that you're letting him go?"

The director looked at her, "I thought this is what you wanted?"

"You're serious?" Skye groaned and put her head in her hands. "Just because we're connected and I've forgiven him doesn't mean I've forgotten what he's done. He's a murderer, he's killed I don't know how many people and just because he can assist on missions doesn't mean you should let him go."

Coulson looked at Ward, "you have to listen to this all the time?"

"Yes sir, 24/7 but I've grown used to it."

"Oh sure Turbo, you've grown used to it but your thoughts of 'what if' are annoying as hell." Skye folded her arms, "what if I hadn't done this or hadn't done that, do you know how annoying it is to listen to that all day."

The director looked between the two, trying to figure out what was going on. One moment they seemed content with each other, unable to let the other go while the next they were throwing insults. Despite their behavior he had to make a choice as their superior. "As I stated Ward, after your physical report to May."

_He's lost his mind! _Skye glared at Ward and he shrugged, _well I would say so. Just because I forgive you doesn't mean I think you should be running around. _

"Whatever is necessary to keep you safe, I'll take whatever orders I need to."

"This coming from the man who stated he was done taking orders." Skye smirked at him, "that's what you told Coulson isn't it?"

He sent her the thought of her dead both in the temple and earlier in the week. "Never again."

The anguish he felt washed over her and her emotions softened, unable to live with the fact he was prepared to rot in his cell literally because he thought she was dead_. I'm here Grant and I'm not going anywhere._

"Is this going to be a normal thing?" Coulson looked at Skye, "these broken conversations?"

"Yes." That came from both of them and instantly the director was starting to regret his decision.

* * *

><p>AN: Okay so I had to have a reason they'd reveal the connection plus a reason why Coulson would allow Ward out so he could begin helping on missions.

Next...a mission with Ward and Skye in the field together with May.

Please read and review...


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